Why Does My Shoulder Hurt After Playing Tennis? (Common Injuries Explained)

If your shoulder hurts after tennis, your first thought is usually one of these:

“Did I serve wrong?”
“Am I just tight?”
“Is this something serious… or will it magically disappear?”

I’ve asked all three — usually while rotating my arm in the car on the way home, hoping for reassurance.

The truth is: tennis puts a huge amount of stress on the shoulder, especially for recreational players who don’t warm up like pros and don’t recover like them either.

This article breaks down why shoulder pain happens after tennis, the most common injuries, and when it’s time to take things seriously.

Why Tennis Is Tough on the Shoulder

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body — which is great for serving and overhead shots… but not great for stability.

In tennis, your shoulder:

accelerates the arm at high speed
decelerates it just as fast
repeats this motion hundreds of times

Add in:

serving fatigue
tight muscles
poor recovery

…and the shoulder often ends up doing more work than it should.

The Most Common Shoulder Injuries From Tennis

Not all shoulder pain is the same. Here are the issues recreational players run into most often.

1️⃣ Rotator Cuff Strain or Irritation

This is probably the most common tennis-related shoulder issue.

The rotator cuff is a group of small muscles that:

stabilise the shoulder
control movement during serves and overhead shots

When they’re overworked or fatigued, you might feel:

a dull ache deep in the shoulder
pain when lifting your arm overhead
soreness after playing rather than during

This often starts subtly — and gets ignored until it doesn’t.

2️⃣ Shoulder Impingement

Impingement happens when shoulder structures get “pinched” during movement.

Common signs:

sharp pain during serves
discomfort when reaching overhead
pain that feels worse at certain angles

This is often linked to:

poor shoulder mechanics
muscle imbalances
fatigue late in matches

It’s uncomfortable — but very common.

3️⃣ General Overuse & Muscle Fatigue

Sometimes there isn’t a dramatic injury at all.

Instead, it’s:

tired shoulder muscles
reduced stability
compensation from other areas

This often shows up as:

stiffness after playing
heaviness in the arm
reduced power late in matches

Overuse injuries don’t announce themselves loudly — they build quietly.

4️⃣ Referred Pain From Elsewhere

This one surprises people.

Shoulder pain can be influenced by:

tight chest muscles
upper back stiffness
poor posture away from the court

In other words, the shoulder sometimes takes the blame for problems it didn’t start.

Why Shoulder Pain Often Appears After Tennis

Like elbow issues, shoulder pain often shows up later.

That’s because:

muscles cool down and tighten
inflammation becomes noticeable
fatigue catches up

During play, adrenaline hides a lot.
Afterwards, reality returns.

When Shoulder Pain Is a Warning Sign

It’s worth paying closer attention if:

pain worsens each session
you feel weakness or instability
serving becomes uncomfortable
pain affects daily movements

That’s your body asking for adjustment — not toughness.

The Biggest Shoulder Mistake Recreational Players Make

This one’s simple:

Treating shoulder pain as “normal tennis soreness”

Some soreness is normal.
Persistent discomfort is not.

Ignoring it doesn’t usually cause instant injury — but it does turn small issues into longer ones.

Where This Fits Into the Bigger Picture

Shoulder pain rarely exists in isolation.

In many players (myself included), it shows up alongside:

elbow strain
forearm tightness
poor recovery habits

That’s why treating injuries individually sometimes misses the bigger picture.

If elbow issues have also been part of your experience, this guide pulls everything together:

👉 Tennis Elbow: A Complete Guide for Recreational Tennis Players

Many of the same principles apply.

Final Thought

Shoulder pain after tennis doesn’t mean you’re fragile or broken.

It usually means:

something is overloaded
recovery needs attention
small adjustments are overdue

Handled early, shoulder issues are very manageable.

Ignored long enough, they become frustrating.

This article is your starting point — the next few in this cluster will focus on what actually helps.

Tennis injury Prevention